Monday, August 18, 2014

Christie Vetoes School Election Bracketing Bill

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie today announced action that has been taken on the following legislation:

BILL VETOED:

S-387/A-1363 – CONDITIONAL - (Scutari, Lesniak/Stender, Benson, Coughlin, Chivukula, Jimenez) - Permits two or more candidates for school board to circulate petitions jointly and be bracketed together on ballot for same term; permits short nonpolitical designation of principles on petitions and ballots.

In his veto message the Governor says that he is concerned that allowing bracketing of school board candidates "may risk the integrity of our school elections by politicizing them."

From the Governor's conditional veto message:
"Because the sponsors of this bill also express concern regarding voter knowledge of candidates and issues in school elections, I am recommending that the bill be amended to require the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, to undertake a review of the impact of allowing the bracketing of candidates together and designations of candidates’ principles on school election petitions and ballots, and to report their findings and recommendations to me. In conducting this review, the Secretary of State and the Commissioner of Education will draw upon the expertise of appropriate offices and divisions in their respective departments, including the Division of Elections in the Department of State and the Office of School Finance in the Department of Education."

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